The invention relates generally to antennas, and more particularly to antennas used with an interactive services module (ISM).
A planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) typically includes multiple layers of rigid materials formed together to provide a radiating element having a conductive path therein. The various layers and components of a PIFA are typically mounted directly on a molded plastic or sheet metal support structure.
An interactive services module (ISM), commonly includes a network device and a support structure surrounding the periphery of the network device. A PIFA is mounted to the surface of a support structure using tape or adhesive such that the PIFA is capacitively coupled to the exterior of the network device. When the PIFA is mounted with tape or adhesive, contaminants may become trapped between the antenna and support structure, thereby affecting the signal transfer between the antenna and the network device. Also, the durability of the tape or adhesive is limited such that the antenna may move relative to the support structure.